A Pakistani man whose pregnant wife was stoned to death by relatives claims police watched on as she was beaten with bricks. Farzana Iqbal (25), who was three months pregnant, was attacked for marrying against her family's wishes.

A mob of around 30 people that included her brother, father and spurned husband attacked her outside Lahore High Court, police told AFP.

Farzana Iqbal, who was also called Farzana Parveen, was attending court to defend her new husband, Mohammad Iqbal.

He was accused by the family of kidnapping and forcing marriage upon her.

Speaking to AFP from his home village of Jaranwala, where he had gone to bury his wife, Mr. Iqbal said "The most painful thing is that nobody came forward to save my wife, the police were there and hundreds of lawyers were there along with ordinary men, but they all just watched like spectators"

Police in Pakistan have said they are investigating the allegation.

Mrs. Iqbal's father, Mohammad Azeem, has been charged with murder and the others are being sought, according to AP.

"The brother first opened fire with a gun but missed. She tried to run away but fell down" senior investigator Rana Akhtar told AFP.

"The relatives caught her and then beat her to death with bricks".

Mr. Iqbal was a widower with five children when he began seeing the victim. "We were in love" he said. "We demand justice. We were being threatened since we got married".

Mr. Iqbal said they had survived a previous attack during the first hearing of the case on May 12th.

"On Tuesday as we were going to court from our lawyer's office almost 30 people attacked us, including her father, brothers and cousins" he said.

A group of 10 or so people accompanying the couple were overwhelmed by the attack and fled, Mr. Iqbal added.

Some 869 women died in so-called "honour killings" last year, according to the independent Human Rights Commission of Pakistan.

"Such crimes persisted because of the impunity enjoyed by the killers," the commission said in a report, which noted that Pakistan's blood-money laws allow kin to forgive perpetrators.